According to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, of the approximately 95 quads of raw primary energy produced in the United States, more than 58 quads were rejected/wasted due to system inefficiencies. The primary sources of energy—petroleum, natural gas, coal, etc.—are generally not directly consumed by the end user. Instead, they are used to generate electricity or to power an internal combustion engine. Electrical energy is the energy source that the vast majority of people directly interact with. It powers mobile devices, televisions, power tools, lighting, etc. In short, electrical energy can power the vast majority of end-user applications, from transportation to home/office heating.
Energy and resources are further wasted when they are restricted to a single application. The generic battery as we know it today originated in the 1800s. The standard AA battery can be used to power a remote control car or a flashlight. Although much research has been performed as of late, primarily to increase energy density, the full potential of the battery is being relegated to very specific applications, such as consumer goods, electric vehicles (EV), or grid storage, based on very restrictive expectations. Furthermore new monopolies and cartels are being created for rare-earth materials, akin to the oil industry, by inefficient use of resources, thereby undermining our energy security.